Reboot
by Xairathan
Summary: There cannot be two gods in one world, so Lain will remove the world. Takes place between Layer 12 and Layer 13. Rated T for graphic imagery.


The last of the debris hurled at the forming god settles into place with a loud creaking, towers and circuit boards crashing against each other to be wrapped up by a mile of rubber and wire. Lain doesn't look away until her first creation, a mountain made to aid her ascension, settles in on itself. The girl in her arms lets out a tiny whimper, and then Lain remembers about Alice. "It's alright now," she tells her classmate. "He's gone now."

"I'm not... gone!" The pile of technology groans along with the raspy voice of a god dethroned. Red starts to ooze from between the machinery, red like arterial blood. Lain pushes Alice towards the door, bringing her arms up to defend herself from this new threat.

"You should be dead," Lain snaps, willing the computers to crush themselves together. Eiri Masami's essence manages to slip away as Lain compacts the pile with her will, compressing it into a neat orb. Sparks ignite the otherwise dark room, some fizzling out in the accumulated puddles, others finding purchase and igniting what they touch.

"Lain!"

Alice's cry brings Lain's attention back to Eiri, to the man who claimed to create her. "How could you create me, if you can't even hold yourself together," she muses, looking with wonder and revulsion at the creature he has made. Multiple arms, nothing more than fleshy ropes, drape off a mass of large boils and meat that almost looks rotten. A trio of tiny legs wobbles under the monstrous bulk, staggering left and right every few seconds in an effort to keep everything balanced.

"Shut uuuuuup!" Eiri roars, lurching forward. The door slams closed, and Alice slams her hands against it again and again, the pitch of her screams increasing. Lain throws up a telekinetic shield in time to ward off the monster's arms, but it crumbles under their second assault.

 _I can fix this,_ Lain tells herself, scanning the room for a solution. Eiri has already proven that brute force won't work. She opts for a direct approach, focusing her thoughts like a lance and driving it at him with all her strength. A hole opens up in Eiri's chest, blood cascading forth and splattering on the floor. It laps at Lain's feet, and she diverts it to the sides with a gesture, waving it away from herself- and more importantly, from Alice.

"Lain, Lain, Lain, get us _out!_ " The door seems to give for a second under Alice's relentless hammering, but refuses to yield. Eiri advances, and for the first time, Lain takes a step back, unsure of herself. Alice turns, and for the first time beholds the distorted body of the fallen god. Her mouth widens, and she screams louder. "LAIN!"

 _Why won't he die?_ Lain wonders. He's been stripped of his power, trapped in a physical form in the "real" world, deprived of his followers- Lain's eyes trail over to Alice, and realization hits her. She turns her back to Eiri, grabbing Alice by the shoulders, locking eyes with her. "Alice," she says, her tone urgent and commanding. "Look at me."

"Lain, he's right behind you; what are you doing?!"

"I need you to trust me, Alice. Look at me." Brown eyes meet Lain's, full of fear- but, Lain realizes, also hope. Hope that Lain can get them out of this, that even though she doesn't know what's going on, Alice trusts Lain to save her. _This is what it's like to have a body,_ Lain thinks, letting the emotions chase the cold from her limbs. She pulls Alice closer, resting her forehead against Alice's. "Look at me."

The lights in the room, now accompanied by fire, become a blur. Eiri's form freezes in place, his reaching tendrils mere inches away from the two girls. "Look at me," Lain repeats, and to her satisfaction Alice's gaze does not waver. The world outside the room becomes an expanse of blackness, shadows gnawing away at the familiar landscape. She sees Alice's eyes flicker slightly, and one of her hands goes up to touch the other's cheek. " _Look at me."_

The blackness swallows the mangled computer parts over in the corner of Lain's room, and a split second later, it takes Eiri as well. The man disappears in silence, not even a scream to mark his passing. The floor, and the walls, and the sky follow after him.

There is only darkness. Darkness, Alice, and Lain. Sensing Alice's question, Lain speaks. "I realized there could not be two gods in the same world," she says. "I also realized that Eiri was drawing his power from his one remaining believer." She tilts her head to the side, the small smile from the classroom appearing. "You. So I helped you stop believing."

To her credit, Alice still doesn't look away. She gestures with her hand at the emptiness surrounding them. Lain nods. "Yes. To unmake him, I had to unmake the world that made him. That makes sense, right?" Her smile disappears, replaced by worry. "I should remake it now. I'll leave everything the same way, but... maybe it would be better if no one remembers me. I only screw everything up for you if I try to help, right?"

"Lain, no, wait-"

"That's right. I'll go and do that, then. Don't worry, Alice. You'll always be my closest friend, even if you don't remember me. Even if I wasn't God, it's written by fate." At Alice's puzzled expression, Lain giggles. "It is. I love you."

"Lain!" Alice throws her arms around her friend, clutching at her- she's no longer cold, she notices. "I don't want to forget you. Don't leave me. I'll miss you."

"You'll have Juri and Reika with you. There's no need to cry, Alice." As Lain returns the hug, she glances around at the empty expanse around her. It goes on forever, she thinks. Just like herself. She will _endure_ for lifetimes, but at that moment she knows there's only one she will want to focus her attentions on. "You should go, now. I don't know how long you can stay like this, since you're... in a body." As an afterthought, she adds, "And don't give it up for anything, Alice. We can see each other at any place, any time. I'm... God, after all."

Alice sniffles in reply, wiping her tears against Lain's shoulder. The touch of her skin is comforting, even while it promises to be fleeting. Lain's hands dig into her back, pulling her closer. "Lain," she gasps out. _I need to say this while I can._ "Lain, before. Before you go. Lain, I love you, too."

Lain smiles, looking tenderly at the girl embracing her. "I know, Alice."

And then there was light.

* * *

Written for mamananami on tumblr

Didn't use a beta for this one, sorry if there's errors

Never watch all of Lain in one sitting, heh


End file.
